Perfect little excuse
by Gato Jazz
Summary: When tragedy hit the camp for the first time, all seemed lost. And all was lost, but Daryl still had something with him. A little habit that maybe went too serious. Thanks to GageW. for the inspiration.


A prompt fill in **The Daryl/Andrea Collective** in LJ. The prompt came from one of the best authors here, **GageWhitney**. She said "I would like to see Daryl be protective of Andrea. Against walkers, other people, whatever - your choice. Also your choice as to whether or not they're already in a relationship."

This is the poor thing that came out to try to fill that prompt. So, credits to her for the inspiration and the Kirkmans and all, you know, that group that owns the characters and the un-dead world. Also dedicated to my favorite person here, Exile's author.

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She heard steps coming from the camp site and quickly wiped her tears away. Gave a small prayer to the invisible forces that seemed to rule the world, hoping it wasn't any of the other women in the camp. They would immediately guess what was happening there and she didn't need that, not at that moment. She sighed with relief when she smelled his imperceptible scent of English cologne. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Daryl stopped his march and redirected his eyes to the floor.

"Where are you going, you elusive little man?"

He sighed with discommodity. He had forgotten she was on call that night.

"I was... I was just looking for something I've lost" tried to sound casual, while running a hand through his hair. He felt like a dumbass but was quite amused with the situation. Andrea looking trough him, with her lively eyes, arms crossed in front of her body and the eyebrows up, in an expression of disbelief and entertain. He turned on his lantern and pointed at her with a small smile. "You see? I'm searching for something I lost"

"Something you lost? When?" she asked suspiciously. He looked too damn nervous to be telling the truth.

"When?" He sighed and a small whistle escaped through his lips. He settled his crossbow on his shoulder and placed his hands in his hips while looking at the sky, simulating thinking. The lantern was at that moment pointing at the woods. "Well... a day or... two, ago. Yeah " He thought he had convinced her, but she was still looking at him with one of her eyebrows up. That wasn't good. She had pull off too many information from him for one night. "Mind your own business, would you?" said firmly, straightening the lantern and walking far away from her.

"Daryl..." she tried to approach him but he was already lost into the trees.

She sighed and swallowed hard. Talking to Daryl was way much harder than talking to Amy while she was listening to her angry music.

One hour later she heard noises coming from a tree that was near the RV. She walked calmly and pointed there with her own lantern while approaching. Suddenly another light blinded her completely. She covered her eyes with one hand and held with the other one her own light source. She cringed at the contact of a trembling hand that had gripped her arm.

"Shh, blondie" said a whispering voice in her ear. "Look" It was Daryl. When she felt relieved enough to exhibit her eyes to the light again, a bow was flying through the air and was now moving back and forth completely stuck on a walker's head. "You see? That's the way you do it. Shoot first, then ask questions" he said in a tone of complete wisdom. Andrea repressed a smile.

"Thank you, master." She joked clasping her palms in a religious gesture. Then she blinked repeatedly like a good girl. "I know some day your useful tips would guide me in aversive situations"

"That's for sure." He ensured. She left the smile appeared and grew. "Laugh now. But you'll miss me when I'm not around here anymore".

They started to walk towards her observation point. Silence empowered the atmosphere.

"Sit with me for a minute" she asked and sat on the ground, waiting for Daryl to take the imaginary seat next to her.

"I'm fine here" he answered.

"You found what you've lost?"

"Yes" She pointed at him with the lantern. "No". She raised an eyebrow. "Maybe"

"Yes, no, maybe?"

"Maybe"

"What was it that is so secret? A porn magazine?" she asked crossing her arms and legs and heard him sigh with exhaustion.

"Goodnight." He greeted roughly and then she heard his steps getting far away from her.

The next day they arrived at the CDC. All thought they had found a safe place to settle and had an interesting meal with that strange doctor. After dinner, Daryl walked through the dorms corridor with his bottle in one hand and hearing through the doors to know what was happening inside. The last one was hers. He spent the night there, back against the wall, legs extended and the brain working high speed. She was crying, he could tell. Like every night since that night.

Hell to the people who thought he wasn't perceptive. He knew all that was happening there, he just decided not to participate.

Having always an eye on her turned to be an entertaining hobby. At first it was because of Merle, according to his words, he wanted that little thing for him and gave Daryl the demanding task of having an eye on her to sneak a little on her tastes.

"This isn't fucking high school, bro" he said to Merle in one occasion.

"I know, little brother. But it's more fun this way, don't you think?" the man answered with a smirk. "Now work your ass and get information for me. You're welcome."

Then, when he was gone, all Daryl had were his brother's hand and a strange sympathy for that tiny little woman who grew stronger every day.

Of course it wasn't an obsession, just a little habit of his.

At one point of the night she kind of ran out of tears or something. He started to stand up when he heard the noise of the shower. She was going to take a shower. A shower, she was naked and maybe one or two meters away from him. He smiled a small smile and blushed all of a sudden. He couldn't just stay there and keep on hearing. He had to do something. He brought up the bottle and rapidly drank all its content.

Ok, he had his push. Now, why his legs didn't move from their place? He sighed and looked for a drop of vodka or something left in the bottle. Nothing. What now? He sighed and grabbed the doorknob. His breathing was already agitated. He tried to calm down and opened the door slowly. The sound of sobs and water falling into the floor invaded his ears. She was doing it again. She was just being a woman. He left her there with a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't want to, but he knew he couldn't do anything better.

The next day passed fast. Drama everywhere and they lost one person. It didn't matter, as long as that person wasn't her.

They were searching for supplies when the herd of walkers appeared. In a small period of time they had lost another person. Maybe two.

A few more minutes passed and all the hustle disappeared. He finished helping T-Dog with his improvised bandage and looked over the new campsite. Carol was crying surrounded by all group members. T-Dog thanked him and started walking towards the people. Daryl followed him with his sight until his eyes focused on Andrea. She was covered in blood and her eyes were lost. She was sitting next to Dale, her knees against her chest and her arms covering her legs. The same position in wich he imagined her in the shower that night.

When Carol stopped, she looked at her and said something Daryl couldn't hear. Then the eyes of all group members were on her. She answered something and Dale surrounded her with his arm. A small ball of hate seized his stomach and made his legs walk to the camp round. When he got there, Dale was talking about how he saw Andrea shaking on the ground and how he gave her his screwdriver.

"What were you doing when the herd came?" asked a nervous Glenn.

"I was working on my gun " Andrea replied removing something from her eye.

"And you were so occupied you didn't see it coming?" Carol asked a little severe.

"I saw them, but I guess it was too late" she admitted with honesty. Dale gently caressed her back and the ball of hate grew inside him.

"I think you were really brave. I do not know what I would have done in that position." Glenn said with a hint of a smile.

"Thank you, Glenn" she answered and gave him a small smile that a part of Daryl desired it was for him.

"I know what you should do, Glenn. Close the RV door." Lori said fixing Carl's hair.

"That's right. You can learn that for the next one" Carol added.

Andrea looked at both women with confusion in her eyes. All group members suddenly became speechless. Daryl sighed and let his crossbow loose until he was grabbing it by the strap. He walked towards Andrea and extended his free arm to her, offering his hand to her. Andrea took it and he helped her to stand up. When she was standing next to him, he spoke to all the group members at once.

"You don't know anything" he exclaimed angrily. His eyes dark of wrath and his cheeks a little reddish. "You're coming with me" said to her. "And all of you're getting your big mouths shout"

He was so lost in his feelings he didn't realize he had her hand in his. The unobserved detail didn't hit him until they were alone in the side of the roadway. He separated from her quickly.

"Thank you, Daryl" she said in a whisper.

"That was close, Blondie" he answered.

"I know" she sighed and sat on the ground, with her back on a tree.

"I should have been there. I'm sorry" he said with guilt.

"No. No… You had to help T-Dog. We were in the places we had to be. Don't worry" she comforted him in a soft voice and gave him a smile, this time it was for him. And for only that reason, it was better than Glenn's.

They remained together, both sitting there in silence until Rick came back. During those minutes that looked like hours for him, he started to feel fear for the first time in his life. What if all this wasn't a hobby? What if it was a need? A need for protection, a need to protect her. What if that was love?

That unpronounceable word Merle taught him to hate, to fear.

The three then reunited with the group, avoiding everyone's suspicious looks. Rick explained what happened with Sophia and Daryl suddenly realized something.

Sophia was now his perfect little excuse. If he was out looking for her, he could be away from Andrea.

He didn't like the idea, but this was a fight he wasn't going to win, he had to retire and have his hope in another battle, war wasn't over anyways.

Maybe all his feelings could disappear one day.


End file.
